1999, Mexico
Director and Producer: Luis Estrada
Production: Bandidos Films/ IMCINE
Screenplay: Luis Estrada, Jaime Sampietro, Vicente Leñero, Fernando León
Cast: Damián Alcázar, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Guillermo Gil
Cinematographer: Norman Christianson
During Miguel Alemán’s Presidency in 1949, the corrupt mayor of the fictitious town, San Pedro de los Saguaros, is decapitated by its people for having exhausted the public funds. In order to avoid a scandal during election season, the party leaders choose Juan Vargas, a simple-minded, idealist party member with political ambitions, to replace him. He moves to the one-horse town with his wife Gabriela and realizes it is pointless to fight the top authorities: the church and the brothel. With his gun and the Constitution in hand he turns into yet another corrupt tyrant capable of perpetrating any atrocity to satisfy his political ambitions.
Winner of the Silver Ariel for Best Art Design (2000)